The winner of Russia’s Mrs Beauty pageant, widely mocked online for her looks, has been revealed to be the wife of the pageant’s sponsor.
Natalya Oskar, 34, from Khabarovsk in Russia’s far east, won the competition on Tuesday.
But she was mercilessly mocked by social media users after a “real” photo of her circulated online, showing her very full lips and short stature.
People have wondered how she won the contest and if she was the only one to enter.
But now it has been revealed who she married Roman Bezmatenykh, a billionaire who sells building materials and owns a company that sponsored the show.
The photo on the left (taken from the winner’s Instagram account is strikingly different from the “real” photo circulating online)
Russia’s Topor Telegram channel claimed, “The audience is discussing the results of the Mrs. Russia contest, which ended ambiguously.
“People wondered how Natalia managed to get the crown of the beauty queen with such a look.
“It turned out that Natalia’s husband is a billionaire Roman Bezmaternykh, who has a whole business empire related to the sale of building materials.
“One of Roman’s firms sponsored the contest.”
The Mrs Russia contest – which is different from the Miss Russian pageant – is in favour married women who have children.
Now, according to other sources, winner Natalya Oskar – mother of a toddler – actually appears to be Natalya Khudiakova.
Her husband Roman, a construction magnate, is 45 and they have a daughter Monika.
Prior to this reveal, the winner was already mocked for his appearance, according to the Telegraph.
Her Instagram feed is full of beautiful, softly lit photos of her.
But after she won, a photo from the competition showing her with a greasy forehead and creases under the cheeks was widely shared online.
Social media users – many from Ukraine – then made derisive comments about her full lips, heavy makeup and short stature.
Others suggested she had overdone plastic surgery, and some said she looked “completely different” from the person who won.
While others said her Instagram account was clearly full of digitally altered photos.
The mother of a child regularly posts photos on her Instagram feed where she looks young and fresh
What a beauty: The woman poses with a coconut and in a yellow bikini for this photo on social media
Natalya Oskar, 34, competed against 82 women to win the new contest that celebrates women of all shapes and sizes
One of them wrote, “If she’s the winner, I’m a little afraid to ask if there are pictures of the runners-up.”
Another wrote: “Russia lies about everything. Even outwardly.’
A third wrote: ‘She won? Was she the only contender?’
Organizers were then forced to defend the ‘real’ photo, blaming a bad photo angle.
“She looks very beautiful in our official photos,” Irina Kirsanova, the organizer of the pageant, told media outlet Podyem.
“I was shocked by the public’s reaction. It was a bad photo, taken from a bad, low angle. She’s very different. Everyone on the jury saw her and loved her.’
The competition has changed its format this year to welcome a wider range of participants.
Previously, only women taller than 1.85 meters and clothing size S and XS were allowed to participate.
Some said Russia “lies” about everything, even looks, while others said the photo appeared to be of a completely different woman
But the organizers said they had decided to drop those criteria and accept women as they are.
Ms. Kirsanova added: “After all, this is not a modeling contest, but a contest for married women and mothers.”
This year 83 women took part, with Mrs Oskar winning the prize after singing a song ‘I’m Your Mrs. Russia’.
Mrs. Oskar teaches English and is also a singer, living with her husband, daughter and dog.
She added: “Two or three times a week I work out with a trainer and I don’t eat sweets.
“It helps me look good without an incredible amount of cosmetic procedures and surgeries.
“Everything is normal with me. My own natural beauty.’
In 2019, she participated in the Queen of the Far East beauty pageant, in which she won the Queen of Fashion nomination.
The Mrs. Russia winner told the Star Hit tabloid that she didn’t care about the online bullying and denied having had plastic surgery.
She said: “I know I worked hard for the game. You spend all day in heels, sleep for a few hours, and then spend morning to night rehearsing.”